


Paved With Good Intentions

by MsFaust



Series: Inky Tales [31]
Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: Bad end, Deception, Gen, Manipulation, References to the Screwtape Letters, Rubberhose AU, Suicide, for some people anyway
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-27 06:14:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12575528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsFaust/pseuds/MsFaust
Summary: An alternate take on Yunisverse's Rubberhose AU.Joey remembers where the road paved with good intentions leads.





	Paved With Good Intentions

Burying his face in his hands in despair, Joey listened to the wails of agony echoing through the studio. It wouldn't be long until the ink claimed everyone still here. True, it wasn't going to spread (thanks to a ritual he'd quickly performed). True, there probably were a few who had enough creativity and/or determination that they'd survive, albeit not in their original forms. Deep in his heart, however, Joey knew he'd condemned his entire workforce to a horrible fate.

As tears trickled down his cheeks, he thought of those who donated objects to the ritual used in the creation of Bendy and Boris. The offerings had contained tiny pieces of their previous owners' life essence, but that wasn't enough for the machine, which ripped out the rest to finish the job. If the Toons were lucky, that would be all the soul they needed just to live.

He thought of Henry, Wally, Sammy, Susie, Norman, Shawn, Allison, Thomas, Grant, and all the others who'd left. Unlike most of his employees, they'd been smart enough to get out while there was still time. At the time, he'd been upset, feeling that they couldn't--or wouldn't--understand the power of belief. Now, he felt only relief that they hadn't been caught in this nightmare.

Finally, he thought of Murray Hill, the man who'd helped him build the Ink Machine in the first place. Now that he thought about it, the mechanic had been a little too supportive of his dream. Perhaps he'd known what was going to happen--maybe even wanted it to happen.

_Was this your plan all along, Murray? Was I just a tool to you, you son of a bitch?_

Picking up a pen, Joey began to write his final message to the victims of the Ink Machine. After pinning it to the door of his office, he went back inside and tore up the letters he'd meant to send to those who'd left, feeling comfort in the fact that he'd just ruined any chance of their falling victim to a horrible fate.

Now there was only one thing left to do.

He walked over to his desk and pulled out a long scarf--the last gift he'd gotten from Henry. Pulling his chair into the center of the room, he stood on it, tying one end to a pipe on the ceiling and the other into a noose.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, slipping the noose over his head. "I never wanted any of this."

Closing his eyes, he kicked away the chair.

(BATIM)

_Deep in the bowels of Hell..._

Seated upon an ornate throne, Duke Screwtape grinned as he looked down at the smaller demon kneeling before him.

"You have done well, Mandrake," he said. "While some of Sillyvision Studios' employees escaped before your Dark Ink could infect them, and others remain trapped in the mortal realm, you _did_ secure your primary target successfully."

"Thank you, uncle," replied Mandrake. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to claim more souls..."

"No need to apologize." Screwtape leaned back, taking a cigar from the box resting on his lap and lighting it. "Clearly, you've learned from your brother's mistakes."

"The safest road to hell is the gradual one," Mandrake quoted.

"Exactly," Screwtape nodded in approval. "I see a promising career ahead of you."

**Author's Note:**

> Just to clarify: Henry, Wally, Sammy, Susie, Norman, Shawn, Allison, Thomas, Grant, and a few others left before the Ink could infect them. The majority of workers were not so lucky.


End file.
